Shapeshifter *ON HOLD*

Chapter Seven

"Stop it!" Agnes shook her hands, and pulled herself taut. Halt this stupid shifting already!

Calm down. I'm just showing you the beauties of Shapeshifting.

The voice's hands seemed to seize her consciousness.

"Let go!" Agnes cried, shaking her head vigorously. A beam of moonlight breached her exquisite blue curtains. Her comfortable queen sized bed was covered with pure white sheets, and her pillow had eyecatching birds sewn on them. Glorious paintings hung over her walls, and a mirror rested on a mahogny table.

Ok then. Do you want me to leave you alone?

"Yes. Please," Agnes whispered, exhaustion overwhelming her. She felt the blob of abyss, that was the voice, retreat away into the far corners of her mind. She had wanted the voice to show her the beauties of Shapeshifting, but didn't want it to be able to control what she did. She would have to wait, until she was able to trust the voice.

*           *          *

RIIIIIIING!

Class was finally over. Agnes scuttled to her locker, stuffed her books in her turquoise backpack, and rushed out of the door. She wandered across the field, the earthly scent of grass and tartness of berries snuck into her nose. Birds wheeled in the sapphire sky, and clouds were splashed in it, dashes of white. Birds twittered, squirrels squeaked, the aureate leaves of a golden field maple susurrated. Where was Karmen?

I can help you find her.

A twang of frustration lanced Agnes. The voice again?! Why was it always there? Maybe this time she could test the voice and see how useful it can really be.

This one time, then. Agnes thought.

Very well. The voice responded.

In a whirlwind of colours and flesh and limbs, Agnes was a bloodhound, a breed of dog with the best sense of smell. She stuck her nose to the ground, whiskers jittering. A faint sparkle of the smell of Karmen hung in the air. Following the trail, she wound her way to the street where she lived on, then into the forest.

The leaves crunched under her paws, and the branches creaked in the wind. Karmen was standing there just waiting for her. Agnes was shifted back into her human form.

Thank you. She said to the voice.

My pleasure. And the voice melted away, like a wave withdrawing from the shore.

"Okay so, let's start," Karmen clapped her hands together, and swept her black hair away from her face,"the first thing you must learn, are the limits of Shapeshifting, and the rankings of the power of creatures."

Karmen led her to a bench and sat down. Agnes surveyed her surroundings first, making sure no one was there. A chipmunk was packing its cheeks with nuts, and nibbling at pine cones. Otherwise, not a single being disturbed the serenity of the woods.

"We Shapeshifters can Shapeshift into any living thing, that includes plants as well. That means we cannot turn into something that was once alive, but now dead," Karmen explained eloquently.

"So that means we can shift into, say, a leaf?" Agnes asked, frowning.

"Yes, as long as the leaf is still alive," Karmen nodded.

"But can we be a certain one of that creature, like if I were to Shapeshift into a dog, would I be able to shift into one just like my neighbour's?" 

"Yes, though shifting into a specific one of its creature is one of the higher arts of Shapeshifting, which you aren't that ready for. You would have to mimic its exact movements, and have a broad imagery." Karmen twisted her hair, and glanced at Agnes, who was, at the moment, daydreaming. "DID YOU EVEN HEAR WHAT I JUST SAID?!"

"Oh! Sorry, yes I did..."

"Well then, moving on. The creatures you can shift into," Karmen started,"is any living thing, as you know. But there are, of course, most powerful ones. Nature already has its levels, but all the normal, not mythical, animals and plants we know are considered the same level, though there is still predator and prey," she took a breath, then continued on,"all mythical creatures are more powerful than the normal ones, even sprites and fairies and banshees. Above them there is the Great Seven, the slightly more strong ones of the mythical family. In it, there is the Dragon, Phoenix, Griffin, Chimera, Nemean Lion, Siren, and Unicorn."

"Are there any ones even better than those? Or are those at the top?" Agnes tilted her head.

"Actually, there are even more powerful ones," she stood up and started pacing,"There is, what we call, the Majestic Three. These creatures are the lords, and within the Majestic Three, there are stronger and weaker ones. The Sea Serpent, is the weaker of the Majestic Three, but still more powerful than the Great Seven. Its main ability is to be able to influence water. Then second, there's the Basilisk. The Basilisk is the king of reptiles, and brings death with one stare. All the reptilian creatures bow down to it. Then there's the Pegasus. The strongest of all beings. It has the ability to influence nature with its beauty and grace. Even the Basilisk has no choice but to obey. However, do not ever shift into a Pegasus when you have no proper control."

Suffocating silence was suspended in the air as Agnes thought for a moment. Since she had no control over Shapeshifting, and had already shifted into a Basilisk, short of a Pegasus, had she shifted into a Pegasus, what could she do to the world?